Topics in Contemporary Epistemology

This subject is not offered in 2016.

170 hours

Admission to fourth year Honours or the Graduate Diploma (Advanced) in the discipline of Philosophy

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject will explore selected topics in contemporary epistemology. We will focus on a specific topic or set of related topics in epistemology, and examine contemporary research on this topic. Sometimes a historical dimension may enter the subject where it is important to ground the topic in the work of an important historical figure (e.g. Descartes, Moore, Sellars, Wittgenstein). Specific topics may vary from year to year. They may include such topics as certainty, scepticism, relativism, the nature of epistemic warrant or justification, the epistemic role of perception, externalist, contextualist and naturalist accounts of justification and/or knowledge and the nature of a priori knowledge.

Students who successfully complete this subject will:

• acquire in-depth knowledge of important topics in contemporary epistemology;
• have the ability to engage on a critical basis with current research in epistemology;
• have an advanced understanding of epistemology.

• A 5000-word research essay, due at the end of semester (100%)

Hurdle requirement:

• Students must attend a minimum of 75% of classes in order to pass this subject.
• All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

Note: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 2% per day. After five days late assessment will not be marked. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.

Subject readings will be available online

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.